A 15-year-old girl has been raped by a man who picked her up in his car after claiming that he knew her.

The teenager was walking in Shilton Park, Carterton, Oxfordshire, between 2am and 4am on Saturday when she was approached by the man driving a small silver car.

The man told the victim that he knew her and offered to take her home. He then drove to her to an unknown location where he raped her.

The incident was reported to Thames Valley Police yesterday.

Detective Sergeant Jim Holmes, of Banbury CID, said: "We are supporting the victim in every way we can.

"After reporting the incident, the victim was taken to a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) where she was looked after by trained professionals and given access to support networks.

"This is clearly a very concerning incident and I am appealing for anyone who was in the Carterton area in the early hours of Saturday morning to come forward if they saw the victim, or the car described, either prior to the incident or from 2am onwards.

"We have a team of officers following up inquiries and are keen to speak to anyone who can assist us with this investigation."